Favorite way to add capsaicin to a dish:
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Feed to the pig first... (Score:2, Funny)
Like with many foods, the best way is to feed it to the pig first, and then eat the pig. Alternatively, let it compost and use it to grow something edible.
Curry! Yum! (Score:2)
Simple but effective (Score:3)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave%27s_Gourmet
Re: (Score:2)
Extreme hot sauces like Dave's are great for bringing up the heat level of a dish without significantly changing the flavor. This is really useful if you cook with fresh chilis which can vary a lot in heat level. My wife doesn't care for hot, spicy food so I have to err on the mild side for most things I cook for us. Take a mild dish that tastes good and add a drop or two of Dave's and you have a dish that still tastes good but has a kick.
Cheers,
Dave
Re: (Score:3)
Dave's is very hot, but it totally sucks in the flavor department. If you want a hot sauce that actually has GREAT FLAVOR, then try my personal favorites...
"Salsa Picante de Chili Habanero - Roja" from El Yucateco
or
"Liquid Summer" Florida datil pepper sauce from Bill Wharton, A.K.A. "The Sauce Boss"
Google 'em.
Re: (Score:2)
IT"s not suppose to add flavor. It's suppose to alow you to 'bring up' foods without changing the taste of the food.
For example, I make a really kick ass stew. If I want to to be spice I add a drop of Daves.
Re: (Score:2)
Most hot sauces aren't hot - they're acidic. The average consumer can't tell hot apart from acidic, and vinegar is cheap.
Give me fresh habaneros on my burger, please. Not pickled to the point of becoming mild and sour. And definitely no "hot" sauce based on vinegar.
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(and yes, Dave's sauces are hot, but your average Tabasco or "burning hot" sauces aren't)
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I made a steak sandwich with fresh habanero's man it was good. Bite of the cold and refreshing like a bell pepper then it just kicked in with a delay. It was great
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Delicious Siracha! (Score:4, Interesting)
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Also I put Cayanne pepper in anything I cook.
That's it, you're off the committee for the church pancake dinner!
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Yeah, this is slashdot. Sriracha should have had it's own choice in the poll (and it would have won, I guarantee you).
Chipotle+Adobo (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yea they do...I grind them in a food processor, and put the resulting paste on all kinds of stuff. It's better then ketchup!
Hatch or not, New Mexico green chile (Score:2)
Only one thing makes California less than perfect. International cuisine from anyplace you could want, but no NM-style green chile dishes.
Re: (Score:2)
Unless things have change since I left So. Ca. a decade ago, there are a lot of places to get NM-style Chile dishes.
I only went to them when someone didn't like hot or flavorful food.but they are there.
Such a thing as "too hot" (Score:5, Insightful)
It's quite evident some people are willing to get the hottest sauce possible just for the wild sensation it produces and not for the purpose it was originally designed for, that being to accent the taste of food. Novelty extreme hot sauces/additives are nice for the occasional dare and prank, and can also be used with very finite amounts to simply add spiciness to a big pot of chili or something. But outside of that it seems rather irresponsible and asinine to go all out with it just for the experience alone. Sure, everyone can eat however the please, yet if I was the chef, having someone lather my food with hot sauce just so they can taste absolutely nothing and get a thrill would probably rub me the wrong way. It's the equivalent of prime steak hidden under a pool of A1 sauce. A touch of A1 or alternative (Worcestershire sauce is great) is great to perk already existing flavor and add some zest to it, but it's a mockery on good cooking when the food ends up being nothing more than to add texture to the sauce they so liberally apply. Like any sauce, hot sauce should be applied and used conservatively, and should be designed with flavor in mind to improve food, not overpower it.
As for personal recommendation, so far I've been enjoying Big S Farm's Tennessee Lightning [bigsfarms.net]. It's got just enough perk to never be overwhelming regardless how fast you eat, nor is it too mild to be unexciting, but has loads of flavor that I've found works with a lot of different foods. I've found various brazilian and mexican sauces to also be impressive (look for brown and green sauces).
Oh, and just to get this out, Texas Pete is pepper water, not hot sauce.
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly! Also, different dishes require different types of chiles and spices. Also, some recipes require fresh chiles, some dried, some powdered.
Claiming a one-size-fits-all solution for spiciness is madness.
Saludos desde México!
Re: (Score:2)
I agree completely. I tend to stay away from 'extract' sauces, as they usually have a very bad flavor, and are primarily heat. I have been hooked on Lucky Dog Hot Sauce lately. [no affiliation] -- It has roasted peppers and a great roasted garlic flavor to it. It has just enough heat to add a kick, but not so much as to overpower the taste of the original dish that you add it to.
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That's exactly why I use the extract sauces as a heat additive for meals just to give it a bit more kick, using very, very limited quantities - sometimes just dabbing the edge of the bottle to the meal and then stirring. It works great with large pots of soup or chili as there's those moments you like to just retain the flavor but it needs some umph to go with it. Extract sauces are great to accomplish that without tarnishing taste.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Jesus, dude, it's just pushing neurotransmitters. Get over it. Capsacin is like the speed metal of flavor. What's with the judgment? Some like it, some not. You're quite welcome to go back to the culinary equivalent of the Monkees, just leave me to my Slayer juice. Different strokes.
Re: (Score:3)
I sort of disagree with this, and sort of agree with it.
First, you need to understand that sufficient levels of spice release endorphins which actually turn the spiciness into a pleasurable sensation. For me, I find that the endorphins usually hit in the heavy Soriano / moderate Habanero range of spiciness, which is well beyond what most people would eat (Jalapeno is mild in comparison. Thai chili is somewhat comparable to Soriano, IMO.)
Personally, I've found that there are a few happy zones.
A small amount
Re: (Score:2)
As the other dude said, the sensation releases endorphins which gives them a bit of an adrenaline rush, and enough of it can opt for a hallucinogen (ghost peppers are known to do this). There's nothing wrong with getting a bit more stimulation outside of what your tastebuds have to offer, but yes, a lot of people go overboard and do it for the rush solely and don't appreciate the food.
As for your case, you probably are dealing with generic hot sauces that are designed with all kick and no flavor, and often
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Because you then lose concentration on the food and focus entirely on dealing with the sensation? Doesn't quite work well if the taste and texture of the food is an afterthought, as the heat ends up becoming a distraction.
Allergies (Score:3)
I'm actually allergic to peppers you insensitive clods!
I really am allergic btw, but it felt like a good valid use of the meme since their is no option to say your allergic....
Re: (Score:2)
Ah, yes ... another reason why pepper spray isn't necessarily a 'non-lethal' weapon : because it can kill some people, even if they're just down-wind of someone getting sprayed.
(and I'm not trying to make light of your situation -- I've got my own food intollerances (dairy), and I've got a friend who's allergic to all alliums (garlic, onion, etc.) which is even more difficult to avoid in most restaurants & prepared foods)
Sriracha sauce (Score:5, Insightful)
Just spicy is boring. Sriracha's got garlic as well, and garlic goes well with just about anything that needs spiciness.
Sweet-hot sauces as well but not as much.
Re: (Score:2)
It's not my favorite (a bit to sweet), but Sriracha has earned a place in my kitchen. I only wish I could find mini bottles or individual packets of the stuff.
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It's not my favorite (a bit to sweet), but Sriracha has earned a place in my kitchen. I only wish I could find mini bottles or individual packets of the stuff.
But I'd rather have my slightly sweet Sriracha than the hot vinegar you get with most hot sauces.
Cheers,
Dave
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This. Spicy vinegar is just unpleasant.
Re: (Score:2)
The vinegar is my favorite part of Tabasco sauce; way more than the spiciness.
The green Jalapeno and brown Chipotle versions are far superior to the rather bland (just plain hot with no distinctive flavor) original.
Re: (Score:2)
You can get packets of it...there's a chinese place near my office that has them. They exist, i can't say they're easy to find...
Re: (Score:2)
http://www.minimus.biz/Lee-Kum-Kee-Sriracha-Chili-Sauce-F03-3441801-1100.aspx [minimus.biz]
Wait...they are easy to find. I googled "Sriracha packets bulk".
Re: (Score:2)
In particular I was looking for Huy Fong Sriracha, but I must admit it has been awhile since I searched. I might have to try the other stuff or continue to fill small bottles.
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, it's the Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Bisulfate that make Sriracha (at least the Huy Fong variety) so darn tasty. How do I know? Try buying Sriracha sauce at Whole Foods. It tastes like ketchup fermented in a goat's ass because they ban those ingredients [wholefoodsmarket.com].
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Sorry, I meant sodium bisulfite. Apparently, sodium bisulfate is generally recognized as safe by the FDA [fda.gov], and therefore, generally recognized as unfit for hot sauce by yours truly.
From the Tube... (Score:5, Funny)
Capsaicin Arthritis Pain Relief Cream
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-capsaicin-arthritis-pain-relief-cream/ID=prod4021863-product [walgreens.com]
Cholula!! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Amen brother! This is my favorite hot (or not-so-hot) sauce.
Really, Cholula is about flavor.
Tabasco (another favorite) is more about heat.
Spices (Score:2)
Bird (Score:2)
I often crush a few dried "bird's eye" chillies into foods I make.
Crushed red pepper (Score:2)
For me, a bit of crushed red pepper [wikipedia.org] on pizza or whatever. Seems relatively tame, but if one of those flakes gets caught somewhere in the mouth then yow.
Alt. source (Score:2)
Pepper spray.
Better than Listerine.
Heat is not a flavor (Score:2)
I will never understand why people torture themselves with overly hot spices.
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8: Something else (Score:4, Interesting)
Why super-hot? (Score:4, Interesting)
Unfortunately, he couldn't taste anything else at all. The only thing he could taste was the sauce.
I love a good chili but only with other tastes.
Definately fresh Chili (Score:3)
Depending on how I feel I make fresh chili 3 ways- Normal mild,Hot and Thermonuclear.The last one I use the ghost pepper in.You HAVE to wear gloves to handle these as they will blister your hand, ,also finely shopped.For the Thermonuclear chili,add Finely chopped Ghost peppers.Then simmer for an hour.
Although I like Tex-Mex chili,I make Hillbilly Chili-Lots of beans.I use Ground round mostly as the meat(Grease drained) Dice tomatoes,tomato sauce,fresh onions (chopped),Kidney beans,Green,red,yellow and orange peppers,Finely chopped.For the Hot,add Jalapeno & Habanero peppers
My daughter used the Thermonuclear version to win the EKU Hottest chili contest at Eastern Kentucky University a few years ago.Jen told me that after it was over,she gave the pot of chili to the ROTC,who proceeded to eat it with the statement"Are you tough enough to handle this?"
I'm willing to bet that flames were emitted at both ends of the army boys.
I usually only make the hotter recipes during very cold winter weather,when such heated foods are appreciated.I'll leave a hint.Fresh baked cornbread helps with the heat.
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BTW,feel free to try it.Leftover chili should be thick enough for use with Hot dogs and Taco salad.If and when a hotter pepper comes out,I'll revise the Thermonuclear recipe into type 1-A Supernova Chili.That leaves me 3 more names to use.-Type 2 Supernova,Gamma Ray Burst and Big Bang
Neelix would be proud of me.
Re: (Score:2)
Taco Saldas get taco meat and beans, not Chile. What you are describing is a Chile Taco.
Which sounds great, but it's not even close to the same thing.
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Thanks,but that's what my late mother called it.
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Yea,but I've worked jobs that has required me to be outside all night in some hideous cold weather,too and a bowl of Hot chili sure hits the spot.Beside,it's fun watching your co worker's eyes bug out when they get some.& take a couple of bites.Usually start breathing very rapidly.
Ever had your ass freeze to a pickup truck rear bumper while taking a dump 10 miles from the nearest bathroom or road? I have.Some of those strip mines can be out in the ass end of Nowhere.
I'm seriously considering making a po
Dried & Ground Up Home Grown (Score:3)
Cayenne has a lot of heat but also a ton of flavor. Jalepenos are good for pushing the limits. I don't care much for mixes with sweet peppers in them.
My $0.02 on the matter.
Something else that I'll explain below (Score:4, Interesting)
Cholula.
I love that red nectar.
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So you want to make hot sauce at home (Score:2)
This is a great sauce anyone can make at home and the video is accurate and funny as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD5FihjAI5c [youtube.com]
Depends on the phase (Score:2)
Cooking with spices (Score:2)
I'd simply have to say that it's personal preference in taste. I like it real spicy, my wife doesn't, who am I to say that she doesn't know what she's eating?
It's much akin to salt, some can take it real salty, some can't, who am I to say they're wrong
but onto more constructive topics there are a few things I love to do with really hot chilis. I've got some fresh and dried haberne
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... before the sucker burns all the way down.
... and out!
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there is a point where the human tongue can't taste anything else but the spice. SO really hot dishes does mean you are missing some nuances... Really hot means you are missing nuances like taste.
But, it's a bunch of young men, so natural it's a pissing contest over how much one can take instead of how overall flavorful something is.
And if it burns after tasting the point is..what, exactly? To irritate your throat?
Missing option: (Score:2)
Secretly... and vindictively!
My something else... (Score:2)
Occupying Wall Street. Plenty of capsaicin to go around!
Homemade Pepper Mash (Score:2)
I ferment my own pepper mash. If I filtered it, it'd be hot sauce but that's an unnecessary step. It comes out something like a homebrew Sriracha.
Tabasco (Score:2)
Tabasco. Because I can smell and taste the wood it was aged in, much like you can in a good whisky or wine.
Honestly though, I prefer the gunpowder-like behavior of wasabi -- a sharp sudden *snap* that goes away fast and leaves you ready for more.
But if it's pepper-based, it's Tabasco for me.
It should always be about the flavor (Score:2)
Don't get me wrong, I love a spicy dish, as long as it has flavor. Can someone here who likes things "hot" explain this to me? Really, whats the point of eating something that will make you sweat like a pig, and have no taste or flavor to it?
I had a friend take me to a pub once, because they had a special deal, where if you ate 4 chicken wings in thier "hot sauce", then the meal was free, your picture taken and put on a wall. I ate one, and wanted to throw up. Yes, I was sweating like a pig, but the sauce t
Re:Not at all (Score:5, Informative)
I went to a wikipedia, and learned some chemistry and biology because of this poll. Looked up capsaicin. Quite cool, really.
Did you even know there are 6 natural, and 1 synthetic types of capsaicinoids?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin [wikipedia.org]
Dig a little deeper, and find the levels of nerd heaven.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
I went to a wikipedia,.
which wikipedia did you go to?
Re: (Score:3)
I went to a wikipedia,.
which wikipedia did you go to?
That one right over there [wikipedia.org]!
Re:Not at all (Score:5, Insightful)
I went to a wikipedia,.
which wikipedia did you go to?
Well, it's not like there is only one wikipedia. There are several [wikimedia.org] he could have gone to.
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And what exactly is not nerdy about knowing what capsaicin is, or being a fan of it? Probably no less than knowing the caffeine molecule at a glance.
Or maybe you're like most of my friends - grew up on midwestern food where taco bell wild sauce is like insanely spicy, whereas I've had spicier mild salsas. My mom had a thing for Thai and Chinese cooking, so I got used to curries and hot peppers at a young age.
Re:Not at all (Score:5, Insightful)
While I know cheetos and mt. dew are thought of as the classic staples, cooking should be of interest too.
For one thing, if you can cook, you can impress women that way....it does help and impresses.
And, think of the chemistry going on there....not to mention biology, if you have a garden and raise some of your own produce and herbs.
If you like to 'hack'...well, do foods from scratch. I like to grind and stuff sausages. What about home brewing? Many benefits there, biology, creativity in recipes...and hey, home brew makes for a GREAT buzz, and less hangover than the commercially brewed and filtered cousins (that yeast helps you with B vitamins you know). And building a computerized, all grain brewing rig should be up any 'hackers' alley, eh?
Hell, right now...I'm learning about home fermented pickling....pretty cool stuff, and the results are not only good, but good for you!!
As for chiles specifically...I hear you on the northern US and bland food. Man...I know I'm a bit of a chile head, but it amazes me what passes for flavor from many people I've meat from up North, more specifically the NE. I've had chili at some of their homes and if it had more that ground beef, beans, salt and a little bit of black pepper...I sure couldn't taste it.
Ok...I've rambled enough...was about to get into what happened to women, that THEY largely don't seem to know how to cook anymore...but I think that's likely another thread....
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If you like to 'hack'...well, do foods from scratch. I like to grind and stuff sausages.
...
but it amazes me what passes for flavor from many people I've meat from up North,
...
Nice slip-up, Hannibal. :)
Re:Not at all (Score:5, Insightful)
As for chiles specifically...I hear you on the northern US and bland food. Man...I know I'm a bit of a chile head, but it amazes me what passes for flavor from many people I've meat from up North, more specifically the NE.
It amazes me how many "chile heads" confused burn with flavor. Dumping hot sauce or random hot chiles on bland food doesn't it flavorful. It just makes it hot. There is an Italian restaurant near here where everything on the menu is bland except for one "spicy" dish that has jalapenos. Ugh.
I've had chili at some of their homes and if it had more that ground beef, beans, salt and a little bit of black pepper...I sure couldn't taste it.
But that's just wrong. Chili without chiles isn't chili. There are only two essential ingredients in chili: meat and chiles, with most of the flavor actually coming from the milder chiles.
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I like a thing, I identify as nerd, therefor said thing should be included as a nerd topic. Pathetic
A nerd (adjective: nerdy) is a person, typically described as being overly intellectual, obsessive, or socially impaired. They may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, obscure, or non-mainstream activities.
Sadly, cooking good food seems these days to be an "unpopular, obscure, or non-mainstream activity". Falls right into the nerd category.
Re:Not at all (Score:5, Interesting)
Or maybe you're like most of my friends - grew up on midwestern food where taco bell wild sauce is like insanely spicy, whereas I've had spicier mild salsas.
The thing about midwestern food, is that we eat less spicy, less spiced foods for a reason. Most cultures/areas of the world that developed highly spiced foods did so for two reasons - preservation of meat foodstuffs over a long period, and to mask the flavor of less than savory foods (it was mostly preservation, though). SO, when you hear about HOW BLAND midwestern food is, it's not bland. You're doing it wrong. Midwest food (especially meat) is fresh, always - if it's not, you need to look local and get out of chain restaurants/grocery stores.. Midwest food is so close to where it's actually produced that it's ridiculous - I can actually look out my window and see the cows that I will be eating next year. Bland is the word that people use who aren't really used to eating fresh food and appreciating the flavor of the food, instead of the flavor of whatever you put on it to cover the taste of old.
Oh, and those cows look fucking delicious.
Re:Not at all (Score:5, Interesting)
Sorry, your explanation does not explain that mid-western product 'Dry Aged Beef'
Apparently it is very common in the mid-west to take a perfectly fine piece of beef and leave it laying about in a cold room so that the connective tissue starts to rot and the beef becomes more tender and tasty (or so my friends from that region claim)
As to your taste-theory of spice... there is pretty clear historical record of traditional Pepper being used to spice rotting meat in Europe (and thus the popularity of foreign spices in that region, and the Spanish calling chiles, peppers to build up sales), but the high use of chiles in 'local' cultures may have more to do with the rush of endorphins that it creates than anything else
Re: (Score:2)
"Dry Aged Beef" That's called an outlier.
A terrible, terrible outlier.
Re:Not at all (Score:4, Informative)
Dry aged beef is fantastic. It's done at the best restaurants around the world.
Re:Not at all (Score:5, Informative)
Besides, the poll is incorrect because if you are interested in making real Mexican or Thai or (*insert spicy cuisine*) food, you will be needing different chile varieties and presentations. Some will go fresh, some dried, some powdered, etc.
Re:Not at all (Score:5, Informative)
Being a chef, i agree. There are different levels of heat and flavor. when the capsaicum hits the tastebuds somtimes you have to use several different chili's in order to make the flavor come out the way you want them to.
I experiment with all types all of the time (fresh, dried, roasted) and they have to work together.
Each type of chile has it's own unique taste and cooking technique. And like Cilantro either you like or hate them
I'm not Mark Miller but he would say the exact same thing i am.
Re:Not at all (Score:4, Informative)
Grew my own bird's eyes last year, came out great. Dried them out and they developed a really nice smokiness to the flavor. Good heat too. Next year I'm going to try a few more types.
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Yes! :-)
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I chose fresh chiles, because too many thai food places just pile a bunch of dried cayenne on top of an existing dish when you want it 'thai spicy' instead of cooking the dish from the ground up with fresh thai chiles
That said, I do some relatively evil things with the habanero and caribbean hot peppers that I grow at home. So far my favorite is to blend the fresh chiles with lime juice and salt until it is a liquid paste and keep it in the fridge to add to everything from store-bought salsa to home cooking
Re: (Score:2)
Try Vodka infused with Thai hot chilis.
4 or 5 chilis added to a 750, let sit in the back of the cabinet for 2 or 3 months, put in freezer.
A shot is an e-ticket. Not very hot at first, the heat builds in your mouth for at least 2 minutes, about 5 before it starts to taper. Also makes great bloody Marys.
You can use it to put raw (as in uncooked) hot pepper flavor evenly spread into food.
Re: (Score:2)
4 or 5? Pussy. The proper procedure is this:
1. Take a bottle of vodka
2. Pour it into another bottle. Don't drink it - not yet.
3. Fill the original bottle with chilis, dried or fresh
4. Pour the vodka back in, as much as will fit in with the chilis
5. Put the rest into a 2nd bottle, with or without chilis. Or drink it - whichever you prefer.
6. Let it sit for a few months
7. ???
8. PROFIT!!!
The resulting liquid is of a reddish brown shade, and it burns like hell. Don't even try drinking more than a tiny sip of it
Re: (Score:2)
You can make drinks with that? I think you are missing my point.
Also: Generic chilis? I like the thai peppers who's seeds are marketed as 'Thai Dragons', don't recall the seed verndor, green and yellow. Hotter then hell, still has a nice strong pepper sweet note. IIRC about 10xJalapeno, 1/4Habenerio.
Obviously I know how to make it hotter. Only use I can think of for yours is crowd control or industrial food.
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Why bother though?
You could just pour in pure capsaicin extract.. or bleach..
Do you actually enjoy something that spicy? I love spicy food, but if it's at the point where you can barely stand the stuff, what pleasure are you getting out of it?
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but which one is your favorite. I do all of them. but a like adding fresh peppers. Just the smell, and joy of preparation.
Re: (Score:3)
I have never worked anywhere that didn't have at least one coworker with a bottle of very spicy sauce on their desk.
Crazy spicy sauces just doesn't seem out of the ordinary in a tech shop to me.
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Wimp!
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I tend to go with Blair's After Death Sauce. It's pretty damn hot in my opinion, I believe it's somewhere around 40,000 scoville.
Re: (Score:2)
Definitely not one their hottest. I've just found that it's about right, hot enough without being impossible to add to food (good luck getting just the right amount of Mega Death Sauce (550k scoville) on a single meal of anything, at least for me at that strength it's a matter of counting drops of sauce (assuming it's not a huge meal but just a regular-sized lunch or dinner)).
With after death sauce I can actually pour it rather than carefully measure it.
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